Fishing Frenzy

It has long been the custom to have a campfire when tent camping and sometimes it is a necessity. The size you make the fire will depend on whether you are going to use it for warmth or cooking, maybe you are going to do both. This article will show you an easy and fairly quick way to make your campfire.

First you have to find out if you are allowed to have a campfire in your campsite or your area of family tents. It is also true that one of the main causes for forest fires are campfires. So before light your fire up get permission to do so either from the park attendant or the forest ranger.

After getting permission, the next thing to do is select where to build your fire. Expert campers always say that the best and safest areas are those located some 10 feet away from the area where you put up your family tents as well as other things that will easily catch fire such as hung clothes, trees, and the like. This is because in the outdoors, anything can happen. One minute, the air is still and the next, the wind is blowing in the direction of your family tents.

Now that you have selected the area, you need to collect up some wood. Good size sticks, barks, and twigs are great to collect if you don't want to have to chop the wood. But make sure the wood is dry that you are collecting so the burn easier.

Now that you have the wood to fuel the fire you are going to make, lay a tarp out on top of the area you selected. This prevents that area from having unsightly debris due to the campfire on it when you are through and you leave. Once you have laid the tarp out you need to spread a good layer of soil over it and even it out. This soil insulates the tarp from the heat of the campfire, so be sure to have a thick enough layer.

The next thing you need to do is make a teepee using your gathered wood. To do this correctly, put a good amount of dried leaves and twigs in the center of the teepee and put the bigger pieces of wood around them. The smaller pieces in the middle easily lights up and will consequently light the bigger pieces on its outsides after a few minutes.

When the larger wood pieces catch on fire, then place pieces similar in size around the outside. You can cover the walls of the teepee in fact, just don't cover the top, because this is what lets the oxygen flow in to help the fire burn. You have to have a steady flow of oxygen to have your campfire burn for a long, steady time.

When constructing your campfire, be sure to always make it to a size, where you can maintain complete control of it. In the event you are going to be using the fire to cook with, just make the fire a bit bigger and strong by adding more wood to it. For warmth the fire can be a smaller one. The campfire should always be completely put out prior to people going to their family tents for the night.